Earlier this month, the passing away of former newsreader Geetanjali Aiyar brought back to mind her gracious and dignified bearing. It also reminded us of the days when the news was presented in a sober and calm manner and was not the cacophony of noise that we have to watch nowadays. Although the news on Doordarshan was pro-government for obvious reasons, it was not intended to divide society or peddle hatred towards any community.
Barring a few exceptions, it seems all TV channels of modern India will stop at nothing to raise their TRP ratings. After all the matter concerns the estimated Rs 27,000 crore advertisement revenue that the channels are fighting for. Sensationalism, rumour mongering and inaccuracy are rampant. Whipping up emotional issues, driving a wedge between different religious sections of the society and agenda based reporting are the rules of the day.
In 2022, the Supreme Court expressed its displeasure over hate speeches being aired on television debates. The court went so far as to dub the visual media as the chief medium of hate speech and questioned the government about why it is standing by like a mute spectator. The court’s comments are an indication of the state of the Indian television media nowadays.
Clearly, vested groups are not interested in addressing the problem. So the onus is on the people themselves to reject hatred. The public, the advertisers and journalists must take a stand on this matter. Let us take a look at what has happened elsewhere.
When South Africa was under the apartheid system, many people in Britain refused to buy the country’s products. As a result of this boycott, several department stores refused to stock or sell products made in South Africa. Those who continued to do so faced huge protests from the anti-apartheid activists. All that is needed is a widespread and strong people’s movement against hatred and divisiveness.
According to a report by noted journalist Karan Thapar, when Facebook refused to curb racist comments, Adidas, Ford, Honda, Hershey’s, Coca Cola and Hewlett-Packard withdrew their advertising. The move worked wonders and Facebook had to comply.
Cannot the same thing be done in India? It can be done if the companies take a principled stand and not just look for profits.
About two years ago Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto took the first step when he announced a stoppage of advertising on channels that spread hatred. Parle Biscuits followed his example. But what is needed is a concerted effort and more companies have to put up a united stand in this matter.
According to Ravish Kumar, the Magsaysay Award winning journalist, the mainstream media is murdering Indian democracy. He said in an interview that some channels are spreading poison in the Indian population and working on a plan to divide the Indians along religious lines. “The Indian media was never so communal and I am worried that they are turning Hindu youths into a mob,” he said. Kumar explained that youngsters who want good education and jobs are being led away from their goals into becoming a mob controlled by communal politicians for their political gains.
But it is not only hate speech that is an ugly aspect of television news. In the race to be the first to report breaking news, some channels neglect fact-checking. This negligence can lead to the dissemination of misinformation and rumours in the garb of news.
Every journalist knows that strict adherence to facts and accuracy form the backbone of news reportage. Without this quality, information is not news, it is rumour. So the journalists who are a part of this dubious practice must also do some soul searching and introspection. Otherwise they will be branded as tools of propaganda, not ethical and upright journalists.
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